Missoula approves amendments to UDC to address AI definition, garage zoning
The Missoula City Council approved amendments to the city's Unified Development Code, including changes to the definition of a data center. The change is intended to require a public hearing before data center construction can proceed, while other amendments addressed driveway widths and garage sizes.
The Missoula City Council approved amendments to the city's Unified Development Code after debate over how data centers should be defined. Mayor Andrea Davis said the revised definition was intended to close a loophole and require a public hearing before construction could move forward. Councilor Justin Ponton proposed changing the definition's language from "and" to "and/or."
The council also approved changes involving driveway widths and garage limits. Local developers opposed some of those housing-related provisions, arguing that narrower driveway rules and a ban on three-car garages could add regulatory obstacles and threaten townhouse projects intended to provide affordable, higher-density housing.